Pre-exam questions at Gynocologist

When my wife goes to her gyno, the nurse or med student always asks a series of questions about her state of health. Sometimes she is asked if she is sexually active. So you ladies get asked that and does it cause you any embarrassment ? They also ask if she is safe at home, I presume that is to help with abusive partners, I am never asked that by my doctor. Is this sexist? Cannot women physically abuse men as well? Just something for discussion

I would never ask anyone of they felt safe at home.

This is clearly the state using the doctor's office to do it's dirty work butting into the intimacy of the family unit and it is nobody's damn business.

This question is asked at virtually every one of my wife's doctors appointment. We have also been asked if there are any guns in the household!

I think the gun question is part of the "Obama Care" program. Guns are a danger to society and a driver of health care costs. At least that's what they think

This question is asked at virtually every one of my wife's doctors appointment. We have also been asked if there are any guns in the household!

That is definitely none of their business.

It's gathering information that I don't want them to have.

This is a standard social question taught in medical school these days. Some of the questions are ridiculous. As a standardized patient, I come across this regularly and have fun with it. For example, I may be playing a 50-something guy with unstable angina. Invariably I'll be asked about my living situation - I live in a home with my wife, kids are grown. Are you sexually active - well, I'm married, so no. Men, women or both. Do you use protection - ARE YOU KIDDING? Do you have a support system, do you feel safe.

They learn this crap and use it indiscriminately, not varying from the script.

Jds4med,

I find it amusing to have fun with those questions, especially if I know the person well and they know me well. As for answering them with someone I don't know, I am a bit cautious with my answers to gauge their thinking and personality.

As for questions regarding abuse from a spouse or someone in the home, controversial as this may be for many reasons, it is sometimes the only venue a person feels safe in telling someone they need help. The firearms question, it has all sorts of political agendas.

Andie

My intention was to highlight how silly the ONE SIZE FITS ALL interview style is.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (not Obama) has made educating patients about gun safety a priority because they estimate that approx. 55 kids are killed each week by guns. They ask if there is a gun in the house in order to ascertain whether the topic needs to be covered. They have been advocating this education for decades. It's in the same class of preventative care as car seats and bike helmets. Why do people object to educating gun owners about gun safety. And don't say its not needed. Two week ago, a 3 yr old shot himself in the mouth with his father's gun, which had been left loaded in his bedside table.

^^^^ Unfortunately not every child lives to become an adult, but I am not willing to give up my privacy for that to happen.

Numbers like 55/wk are trumped up numbers by the anti-gunners. They include street crime and gang related deaths (not innocent bystanders) in a population of 'children' defined by being under18. There are certainly tragedies, many caused by irresponsible parents, but that total number is very small.

Do doctors ask kids with no apparent injury if their parents beat them? No. Do they ask the kid with no symptoms if daddy cleans the chimney? No. Do they ask if mommy drinks and drives? No. All those things kill more kids than guns. Guns are subject of hoplophobia and media driven hysteria. Keep a level head and think realistically.

Some of these "one size fits all" questions are indeed silly. But if anyone feels they invade their privacy, hey, just don't answer.

@Jds4med: Hoplophobia? Media driven hyteria? Hello - the fact that almost any dickhead can legally buy a semi-automatic rifle with ammo IS dangerous. I think it makes perfect sense to be scared of guns! A phobia is defined as an irrational fear and a psychological disorder. Calling people who are critical towards free access to firearms crazy is an extremely perverted logic.

Dr House. Being Austrian, you are rather unqualified to evaluate the access and current restrictions that are in effect in the US. You also don't see the media frenzy every time someone says 'gun.' The US media feeds on blood and needs to fill airtime 24x7. Everything becomes a national news story - except real news.

IMHO, nothing makes a non-gun owning doctor qualified to educate a patient on proper gun safety. The gun ownership question is an Obama-care mandated question. IMHO the correct answer to such a question is silence, changing the subject, or outright telling the doctor that the Obama Administration does not need that information.

Dear Jds4med, we can have different opinions, but I totally refuse to be called unqualified to comment. Believe it or not, we strange Europeans travel occasionally and keep our ears and eyes open to what happens around the world. My criticism is aimed at the infamous term "hoplophobia", and I stand by that.

But probably we won't get a constructive discussion that way. This thread is not about the pros and cons of firearms anyway.

To further on the "gun question" -- the Florida Legislature passed legislation, also known as the "Docs vs Glocks" law which forbids doctors from asking about guns in the house. The penalty for violating this law, among other things, could be a $10,000 fine and/or loss of license to practice medicine in the state. The American Academy of Family Practice and the American Academy of Pediatrics and several doctors sued and won an injunction in 2011. This past July, the injunction was vacated and the law was upheld by the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit as a reasonable regulation of the practice of medicine by the State of Florida, with only incidental infringement of the medical practitioner's speech, because the question is not directly related to the individual patient's health or safety. The question does not stem from a federal requirement.

In the call to pre-register me for my recent colonoscopy, I was asked if I feel safe at home. I replied "That depends on how much ice is on the sidewalk." The lady from the surgery center got a big laugh out of that.

Levity aside, given the amount of abuse in our society, both abuse of women as well as the elderly, I understand and appreciate the unfortunate need for these questions.

In the call to pre-register me for my recent colonoscopy, I was asked if I feel safe at home. . . .

Like "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas", "what happens at home, stays at home."

It's nobody else's damn business.

Like "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas", "what happens at home, stays at home."

It's nobody else's damn business.

Same with 'do you use protection' in your monogamous marriage. You also want to ask what positions we use?

The statement in the Viagra ads, 'ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex' seems to me to be another unnecessary invasive question. Yes, I understand the correlation between cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction.

The statement in the Viagra ads, 'ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex' seems to me to be another unnecessary invasive question. Yes, I understand the correlation between cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction.

At least that question IS related to the patient's health and well-being. It seems to me that we want our doctors to spend time with us and figure out what is going on with our bodies. It also seems to me that we are tired of rising medical costs due to unnecessary testing (yes, and law suits and insurance companies). If that is the case, questions from our doctors and honest answers to them is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to get to the heart of a problem (pun intended). I have no problem with probing questions as long as it is related to why I am visiting that practitioner.

IMHO, guns do not kill people, people kill people. I am pro 2nd amendment.

Anybody with a good set of kitchen knives could easily kill anyone in the house.

The point is every house has deadly weapons of one form or another.

Knives, hatchets, hammers, axe, garden pitch-forks. . . .the list goes on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV6X7POhdoo

IMHO, guns do not kill people, people kill people. I am pro 2nd amendment.

Anybody with a good set of kitchen knives could easily kill anyone in the house.

The point is every house has deadly weapons of one form or another.

Knives, hatchets, hammers, axe, garden pitch-forks. . . .the list goes on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV6X7POhdoo

In the real world, not some fantasy land, there are people who wish us harm and don't obey laws. I refuse to be a victim and, if you're near me at the time, I'll protect you, too,

SUPER KARMA TO ANDIE!!!!

Hey,wait, I live in Vegas, and not everything stays in Vegas! Not too long ago I took a friend to her Gyn appointment. She told me that it was weird because the nurse asked her a bunch of questions that didn't really pertain to her health. I said "Like what?" She also said about her home situation and what goes on there and she thought that was a bit much.We ended up having a nice discussion over lunch pertaining to doctor questions. I told her that I personally don't mind the questions as long as they pertain to the reason why I'm seeing the doctor. I had a doctor ask me, "What do you like to use for protection?" I told him," A Fake Name." Now enough of the questions doc, just pull my tooth. Another time I went to my Cardiologist to order some Cialis. He smirks and says,"Your sex life must be pretty good?" I told him it would be a lot better if I wasn't alone. His nurse hates me? Docs, just ask the questions that only pertains to my body and the reason for my visit. Thank you!

You should hear the questions I got from students after a serious weekend of hard play and the resulting marks ?

Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoh0jdRrtxQ

Regarding kid's safety, I remember a few years ago when a female candidate for state attorney general proposed gun safety classes for all children, and many people were outraged at the suggestion. It wasn't like she was advocating taking kids to the range, it was more about how dangerous guns are and how to make them safe. Needless to say, she wasn't elected.

I don't see the point of doctor's asking about guns. Are they taking notes and forwarding it to some agency? If a doctor doesn't have firearms experience themselves, how are they supposed to advise an experienced gun owner about safety? They might as well ask if the family goes skiing, do they have a trampoline, does anyone play football or gymnastics, do the kids always wear helmets, does the family always use car seats, etc, etc. The safety lecture by the doctor would end up taking most of the appointment.

Gun safety for kids is great. The NRA has a program called EDDIE EAGLE to teach kids what to do and what not to do if they come across a gun (don't touch, get an adult). Most areas resist that training because

1) NRA, and

2) bad things don't happen if you bury your head in the sand.

As for the doctor, they're the doctor, not the nanny.

This behavior has been around long before obamacare meddling. At face value we certainly want to keep children, the elderly, and those unable to defend themselves, whether physically, emotionally, or otherwise safe from predators. Same goes for those who may put themselves in danger or lack responsibility to take precautions around their children.

But this thread made me think of a couple instances of pre appointment history forms that contained some of this same junk...do you feel safe at home...do you have guns in the home... pile of garbage. We obviously steered very clear of seeing any of these gynecologists but I never really gave it much thought. The big red flag for me is that quite frankly a gynecologist or any other medical professional is likely not to have proper training on the handling and use of firearms, including their application of deadly force if required, nor is the right person to investigate or step in and intervene in a violent or abusive condition. The folks insisting that physicians become the guardians of society are lock step with the nutjobs who criticized Mother Theresa for caring for the sick and dying instead of solving the social and political ills of the world that caused such things to occur. Physicians need to tend to those seeking their care and get over whatever narcissistic thoughts they have of being accuser, judge, and jury in affairs they know nothing about.

As evidence for my rant review the document here < https://www.apgo.org/binary/Preceptor%20Brochure%203-FINAL3.pdf > pay particular attention to the domestic/sexual section on page 4. As Jds4med points out this bunk is being taught in medical schools. What do you do with a 20 something fresh out of college med student encountering a young lady....asking is she is being abused...suggesting maybe she is...suggesting she not go home. Now take a look at page 2 - the classic ":read between the lines" fallacy. This is a great example of a direct ad hominem attack. I interact with my wife while she is answering medical questions, I stay in the room during her exam, I refuse to leave when asked by said 20 something physician. And since he or she has been taught by our brilliant group of savior of society physicians I am now suspected of domestic abuse, will be followed up on, the appropriate social "police" will be involved. Because abusers would most likely exhibit the mentioned behaviors, I must of course be one. An absolutely classic abuse of logic and ethics.

I'd poke fun at the whole thing if it was not for the fact that teaching young students this mindset is a very serious problem in our society. Fortunately the vast majority of physicians don't get caught up in the crap and sincerely care about the reasons their patient come to see them in the first place

Regards

Greg